Final Scoping Report for the Proposed Juno 140 Mw Wind Energy Facility, Western Cape
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FINAL SCOPING REPORT FOR THE PROPOSED JUNO 140 MW WIND ENERGY FACILITY, WESTERN CAPE On behalf of AMDA DEVELOPMENTS July 2018 DEA REFERENCE NUMBER: 14/12/16/3/3/2/1074 Prepared By: Arcus Consultancy Services South Africa (Pty) Limited Office 220 Cube Workspace Icon Building Cnr Long Street and Hans Strijdom Avenue Cape Town 8001 T +27 (0) 21 412 1529 l E [email protected] W www.arcusconsulting.co.za Registered in South Africa No. 2015/416206/07 Final Scoping Report Juno Wind Energy Facility EXECUTIVE SUMMARY INTRODUCTION AMDA Developments (Pty) Ltd are applying for environmental authorisation to construct the Juno Wind Energy Facility (WEF) generating a maximum of 140 MW and its associated infrastructure. Arcus Consultancy Services South Africa (Pty) Ltd (‘Arcus’) has been appointed by AMDA Developments as the independent environmental impact assessment practitioner (EAP). Arcus will conduct the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process and the Basic Assessment (BA) process for the associated grid connection infrastructure, as required by the National Environmental Management Act, 1998 (Act No. 107 of 1998) (NEMA), as amended. The proposed Juno WEF aims to generate and distribute electricity from renewable wind energy sources into the national grid by connecting the on-site substation with 132 kV power lines to the existing Eskom Juno substation located approximately 16 km north east of the proposed on-site substation. In order for this activity to commence a basic assessment process will need to be undertaken. This will be subjected to a separate application process and impact assessment. The development is proposed to construct a wind energy facility (WEF) and associated on site infrastructure. The project is expected to have a 25 year life span, but with possible refurbishment this could be extended if deemed feasible at the time. AMDA Developments is an international renewable energy company specialised in the development, construction and management of high-value projects in the energy and sustainability fields. Arcus is a specialist environmental consultancy providing environmental services to the renewable energy market. Arcus has advised on over 150 renewable energy projects in the United Kingdom and South Africa with environmental management and in-house specialist services. SITE LOCATION AND PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT DESCRIPTION The exact location of each turbine, and the routing of the powerlines will be determined during the EIA and BA processes and confirmed in the EIA phase, aided through the investigations of environmental, technical and financial constraints. The study area within which the project will be developed is located approximately 5 km northeast of Strandfontein in the Western Cape Province. The proposed Juno WEF will comprise up to 59 Siemens-Gamesa wind turbines with a generation capacity of either 2.6 or 3.4 MW (the exact number of turbines will be refined through the EIA process as specialist investigations and constraints and no go areas are defined). The 2.6 MW turbine model (SG 2.6-114) has a rotor diameter of 114 m, a hub height of 80 - 93 m and blade length of 56 m. The 3.4 MW turbine model (SG 3.4-132) has a rotor diameter of 132 m, a hub height of 84 - 114 m and blade length of 64.5 m. The combined generation capacity for the facility will not exceed 140 MW. An on-site switching station will be constructed as part of the Juno WEF, which will transfer the electricity generated by the WEF to the existing Eskom Juno substation. The on-site substation (including the switching station) will be approximately 200 m by 200 m in extent, contain transformers, switchgear, support structures, protection and metering equipment with a 2.4 m high enclosing wire mesh fence (two alternative locations have been proposed). The grid connection alternatives (overhead powerlines) run in a north-easterly direction from the proposed development site, crossing the Olifants River shortly before joining the existing Eskom Juno substation. The grid connection will form part of a separate application for authorisation through a basic assessment process. The proposed site is located on a flat to gently undulating coastal plain characterised by low shrubland vegetation. This Final Scoping Report aims to present and assess the initial proposed wind turbine layout and associated infrastructures. While a preliminary turbine layout has been provided, the precise location of each wind turbine, and the routing of the overhead power lines have not as yet been finalised and will be determined by the findings of the various specialists during the EIA Phase as well as other technical and financial constraints for this proposed site. ENVIRONMENTAL LEGISLATIVE REQUIREMENTS The EIA Regulations 2014 published in Government Notice (GN) No. R. 982, provide for the control of certain Listed Activities. These activities are listed in GN No. R. 983 (Listing Notice 1 – Basic Assessment), R. 984 (Listing Notice 2 – Scoping & EIA Process) and R. 985 (Listing Notice 3 – Basic Assessment) of 4 Arcus Consultancy Services South Africa (Pty) Ltd AMDA Developments July 2018 Page 2 Final Scoping Report Juno Wind Energy Facility December, and are prohibited to proceed until environmental authorisation has been obtained from the competent authority, in this case, the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA). On 7 April 2017 in Government Gazette 40772 the Minister of Environmental Affairs published amendments in Government Notice (GN) Number R. 326 to the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Regulations of 2014 that provide for the control of certain Listed Activities. These activities are listed in Listing Notice 1 (GN R327), Listing Notice 2 (GN R325) and Listing Notice 3 (GN R324). Activities triggered within Listing Notice 1 and 3 require Basic Assessment; activities within Listing Notice 2 require a Scoping & EIA Process. As the proposed Juno WEF development triggers Listed Activities in Listing Notices 1 – 3, a full Scoping and EIA process will be followed for this application. Listed Activities applicable to the proposed Juno WEF are presented in the table below. All potential impacts associated with these Listed Activities will be considered and assessed in this EIA. Applicable Listed Activities in terms of the NEMA LISTING NOTICE ACTIVITIES LN 1 GN R3271 11 (i); 14; 19; 24 (ii); 48 (i) & 56 (ii). LN 2 GN R3252 1 & 15. LN 3 GN R3243 4; 12; 14; 18 & 23. Depending on the final design of the Juno WEF, there may be a requirement for the following additional permits/ authorisations: Biodiversity Permits in terms of the National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act (Act No 10 of 2004) (NEMBA); Waste Management License/s as required by the NEMA, Waste Act, 2008 (Act No. 59 of 2008); Mining Permits as required by the Minerals and Petroleum Resources Development Act, 2002 (Act No. 28 of 2002) (MPRDA); and Water Use Licenses as required by the National Water Act, 1998 (Act No. 36 of 1998) (NWA). These permits will be applied for should the project be authorised and be selected as a preferred bidder. AREAS OF INITIAL INVESTIGATION A number of initial specialist investigations have been completed for this Final Scoping Report and their findings are included in Sections 7-15 of this document. Should further fields of study be identified as requiring further investigation during the Scoping Phase, usually through the public participation process, these will be considered for inclusion into the scope of the EIA. Each of the specialist assessments (geology, soils and agriculture, flora and fauna, avifauna, bats, freshwater and wetlands, noise, landscape and visual, cultural heritage, archaeology and palaeontology, and socio-economics) will follow a systematic approach to the identification and assessment of impacts, with the principal steps being: Description of existing environment/baseline conditions; Prediction of likely potential impacts, including cumulative impacts (both positive and negative); Assessment of likely potential impacts (positive and negative); Identification of appropriate mitigation measures; and Assessment of residual (potential) environmental impacts. The individual baseline descriptions and assessment methodologies are set out in Sections 7-15 of this report. The approaches are in line with legal requirements and industry guidelines and will make use of the considerable experience and expertise of the EAP and the specialists. PLANNING CONTEXT Spatial framework and strategic planning/policy documents that are the most relevant to this proposal on a national, provincial, metropolitan and local level were reviewed as part of this study. Planning policies 1 “Listing Notice 1 of the EIA Regulations, promulgated under Government Notice R983 of 4 December 2014, as amended by Government Notice R327 of 7 April 2017.” 2 “Listing Notice 2 of the EIA Regulations, promulgated under Government Notice R984 of 4 December 2014, as amended by Government Notice R325 of 7 April 2017.” 3 “Listing Notice 3 of the EIA Regulations, promulgated under Government Notice R985 of 4 December 2014, as amended by Government Notice R324 of 7 April 2017.” Arcus Consultancy Services South Africa (Pty) Ltd AMDA Developments July 2018 Page 3 Final Scoping Report Juno Wind Energy Facility are listed in Section 4.7 of the Draft Scoping Report (DSR) (this report – Volume 1) and in further detail in the Social Scoping Report, which is included in Volume 2. It is established that policy supports the development of renewable energy at all levels